Closure Device for Containers for Beverages or Other Liquids

ABSTRACT

A device is fitted with a pouring tube which can be raised after opening a blocking-off cover and which can then be folded back down, as also can the cover, to close the container again hermetically so as to preserve a remaining portion of the beverage for consumption at a later time. A locking arrangement which breaks when the cover is opened for the first time tells the purchaser or consumer that the container is intact or that it has already been opened. The present security closure device always keeps the pouring tube in a hygienic state of a standard appropriate for foodstuffs and keeps the contents of the container free of any soiling or external contamination. The security closure device, which is small in thickness, is simple to fix to the top of any current container and, in particular to any carton made of cardboard or a similar material.

The present invention relates to containers for beverages or other liquids and it relates in particular to a closure device for containers of this kind, such for example as cartons made of cardboard or a similar material.

The outer surfaces of containers for beverages are generally contaminated with soiling and pollution of all kinds resulting from the temporary holding in store and the various handling operations which occur during the packaging, transport and storage of the containers.

In distribution networks for example, containers for beverages are handled a large number of times by different people, and in the refrigerated cabinets in supermarkets they are often handled by large numbers of customers, in particular to allow the customers to see how fresh they are. Also, the containers are often placed straight down on the ground and are thus within the reach of animals and may come into contact with chemicals, detritus, grease, oil, etc. All this means that the hygienic state of containers for beverages is generally doubtful.

In another connection, it often happens in the case of a container for beverages or other liquids which is produced in the form of a carton that, when the carton has been opened and is tilted by the consumer to pour its contents into a glass or other receptacle, liquid spills onto the carton and spreads around the receptacle.

To protect the contents of a container from soiling and contamination when they are being consumed or poured into a receptacle, it has already been proposed that the container for food products be fitted with a pouring tube or a tube acting as a spout which is able to pivot between a lowered position in which the duct passing through it does not communicate with the inside of the container and a raised position in which the duct passing through it does communicate with the inside of the container. Publication WO 03/051733 A describes a lid comprising a relatively rigid pivoting tube which, when folded down, is protected under a blocking-off cover and which enables the container to which it is fixed to be closed again hermetically after it has been opened and which thus, when the container is not emptied all in one go, enables what is left of the food product to be preserved under better hygienic conditions with a view to consumption at a later time.

The present invention relates to a closure device for containers which are produced in the form of a carton made of cardboard or a similar material, which closure device enables the container to be closed again hermetically after it has been opened and gives the consumer a guarantee not only that the contents of the container are of perfectly good quality as food but also that the container and its contents are absolutely intact, i.e. that the container has not been opened yet.

The closure device according to the invention is defined in the claims. The device is flat, can be fixed to the top of a face of the container in a simple way and is of only small thickness on the top of the container. It also ensures that the beverage or liquid will flow out easily, thus enabling the container to be emptied completely without any dribbling or splashing onto the closure device or around the receptacle into which the product is poured. The device according to the invention can be manufactured in a simple way all in one piece by an industrial production process and it can be fixed to any ordinary container or carton currently in use.

The closure device according to the invention enables containers for food products to be produced which can emptied easily all in one go or in stages and which always preserve the product in hygienic conditions of a standard appropriate for foodstuffs.

The features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly apparent from perusal of the following description, which is given by reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of container closure device according to the invention, showing the blocking-off cover closed,

FIG. 2 shows the cover of FIG. 1 with the blocking-off cover in the raised position,

FIG. 3 shows the device of FIG. 2 with the pouring spout in the raised position,

FIG. 4 is an elevation, to an enlarged scale, of the security device when the cover is not completely closed,

FIG. 5 is an elevation, to an enlarged scale, of the security device when the cover is closed,

FIG. 6 is a view partly in section on line 6-6 in FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a view in section of a first embodiment of closure device according to the invention when fixed to a container, showing the cover open and the pouring tube in the lowered position,

FIG. 8 shows the device represented in FIG. 7 with the pouring tube in the raised position,

FIG. 9 is a view in section of another embodiment of closure device according to the invention, showing the cover open and the pouring tube in the lowered position,

FIG. 10 shows the device represented in FIG. 9 with the pouring tube in the raised position.

In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate members which are identical or equivalent to one another.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of a container closure device according to the invention. The closure device 10 comprises a base 11 having a generally flat inside face which is intended to be fixed to the top face of a container. The top face of the base 11 has a projecting edging 12 around the periphery of a cavity 20 which in cross-section is of a generally oblong shape. A blocking-off cover 13 is attached to one side of the edging 12 by a hinge element 14 in such a way as to be able to pivot between a position where it is lowered onto the edging 14, thus closing off the cavity 20 (FIG. 1), and a raised position (FIG. 2). The cover 13 has, on its inside face, a peripheral edging 15 which fits round the edging 12 on three of its sides when the cover is in the lowered position.

When in the raised position, the cover 13 exposes a pouring tube 17 which is housed in the cavity 20 and which is attached to the edging 12 by a hinge element 16 in such a way as to be able to pivot between a lowered position and a raised position in which it extends towards the outside of the base 11 (FIG. 3). The pouring tube is preferably formed by a relatively rigid tube which has for example a plane face and whose cross-section is adequate to ensure that the liquid can flow out satisfactorily and that the container to which the closure device according to the invention is fixed can be fully emptied.

The blocking-off cover is locked in its lowered position by a locking arrangement which is intended to give the purchaser or consumer a guarantee that the closure device has not been opened and that the contents of the container to which it is fixed are intact or, on the other hand, to indicate that the closure device has already been opened. The said locking arrangement is formed by a member which is secured to the cover and which co-operates with a member which is secured to the base in such a way as to be situated in a first state in which locking is ensured, or in a second state which indicates that the cover has already been opened. In the embodiment which is shown in the drawings, the locking arrangement comprises a security member 18 which projects from the top face of the base 11, outside the peripheral edging 12, and whose end is hooked into an orifice 19 which is formed in the edging 15 of the cover 13 and into which the end of the member 18 fits when the cover is placed in the lowered position for the first time. The locking arrangement is shown to an enlarged scale in FIGS. 4 to 6.

In FIG. 4 there can be seen, before locking, the security member 18 in the form of a punch-like member which is formed on the top face of the base 11, and the orifice 19 in the edging 15 of the cover 13. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the locking arrangement when the cover 13 is locked. The end of the punch-like member 18, which is in the form of an arrowhead, is then held against the edge of the orifice 19 by its barbs and is thus unable to escape therefrom, which locks the cover 13 to the closure device. When the cover is opened for the first time, the thinned stem of the punch-like member 18 breaks and the cover 18 can then pivot and be raised. In this way, the consumer can see immediately whether or not the cover has already been opened. When the end of the punch-like safety member 18 is free in the orifice 19, it means that the cover has already been opened. When on the other hand the punch-like security member is intact and is holding the cover down, the consumer is sure that the closure device has not been opened. It is understood that the projecting member could equally well be secured to the cover and could hook onto an edge of an orifice which was provided in the base. A plurality of security arrangements may be provided in a loop around the cover. The raising of the cover 13 is facilitated by a suitable cavity 12 a which is formed at one or more than one point in the edging 12.

The closure device according to the invention is intended to be fixed to the top face of a container such for example as a carton, made of cardboard or a similar material, which contains a beverage or some other liquid foodstuff, the flat bottom face of the base 11 being fixed to a face of the container by, for example, welding. When the blocking-off cover 13 is unlocked and open, the consumer raises the pouring tube 17, the duct within which is thus placed in direct communication with the inside of the carton via a clear passage which is formed in the way which will be described below by reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, which are views in section of the closure device 10 when fixed to the top of a carton 30 which has an orifice 31. The fixing is performed in such a way that, in the raised position, the duct within the pouring tube 17 is in direct communication with the orifice 31 in the carton by way of a clear passage. FIG. 7 shows the closure device 10 with the cover open and the pouring tube in the lowered position, and FIG. 8 shows the closure device 10 with the cover open and the pouring tube in the raised position.

One end of the pouring tube 17 is attached for a certain distance, at its periphery, to the edging 12 on the base 11 by a hinge element 16 which enables the tube 17 to be pivoted between its lowered position and a raised position in which its extends towards the outside of the cavity. In the embodiment which is shown by way of example in the drawings, the hinge element 16 is situated at that end of the cavity 20 which is opposite from the end at which the hinge element 14 by which the cover 13 is attached to the base is situated, A flexible sealing membrane 22 connects that part of the periphery of the pouring tube 17 which is not attached to the edging 12 of the cavity to a part of the periphery of an opening 21 which is formed in the bottom of the cavity 20 in the base 11.

When the pouring tube 17 is in the lowered position, its bottom end is positioned against the wall of the cavity 20 and the membrane 22 prevents any communication between the duct within the pouring tube 17 and the opening 21, and hence any communication between the duct within the tube 17 and the inside of the carton, so that the liquid contained in the carton is unable to enter the pouring tube. This being the case, no splashing or spillage of liquid can occur when the pouring tube is then moved to its raised position. When the tube 17 is in the raised position, the flexible membrane 22 is clear of the opening 21 in the base 11 and defines within the cavity 20, with a seal, a passage to the opening 21 which places the duct within the pouring tube 17 in communication with the inside of the carton 30. When the consumer tilts the carton to pour its contents into a receptacle, no spilling of liquid can take place onto the top of the closure device. What is more, the cross-section of the clear passage in the form of a funnel facilitates the outflow of the liquid and the complete emptying of the carton.

When the consumer does not empty the carton fitted with the closure device according to the invention all in one go, it is possible for him to return the pouring tube 17 to its lowered position and then to fold the cover back down. The carton is then again hermetically closed, which avoids the risk of having insects, cigarette ends, particles of dust or other rubbish of any kind get into the carton. The pouring tube, which may also serve as a spout enabling the consumer to drink straight from the carton, and the contents of the carton thus remain sheltered from any external contamination.

Given that it remains protected under the cover 13 until the securitised opening of this latter, the pouring tube 12 of the closure device according to the invention is always hygienic to a standard appropriate for foodstuffs and prevents there from being any risk of contamination for the contents of the carton or for the consumer. What is more, being made of a synthetic material, the cover does not cut or catch on the fingers of the consumer.

A stop member 23 may advantageously be provided at the free end of the pouring tube 17, to come to rest on an abutment which is formed on the base 11 when the pouring tube 17 is moved to the lowered position.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a variant embodiment of the closure device according to the invention. The closure device 10 is fixed to the top of a carton 30 which has an orifice 31 which is temporarily blocked off by a blocking-off membrane 32. The closure device 10, which is initially locked, differs from the one which was described above by reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 only in the form taken by the bottom end of the pouring tube 17.

In this embodiment, the pouring tube 17 has at its bottom end, in that part of its periphery which is opposite from the part which is attached to the edging 12 on the base, an extension 24 which, when the pouring tube is in the lowered position, fits into a recess 26 which is formed in the base on the side on which the passage 21 is situated. The recess 26 in the base comes into place above the orifice 31 in the carton which is blocked off by the blocking-off membrane 32. The free end of the extension 24 of the pouring tube 17 is in the form of a point which advantageously has an element 25 which forms a cutter. When the pouring tube is in the lowered position, the tip of the cutter 25 is not in contact with the blocking-off membrane 32; this stops the membrane 32 from being split accidentally when the container is being handled.

When the pouring tube 17 is moved to its raised position (FIG. 10), the cutter 25 which the end of the extension 24 of the pouring tube 17 has comes into contact with and presses against the blocking-off membrane 32 in the course of the pivoting movement of the pouring tube 17 and splits the said membrane. The orifice 31 in the carton 30 is thus opened and places the duct within the pouring tube 17 in direct communication with the inside of the container 30. The flexible sealing membrane 22 ensures that the passage which is opened is sealed in the way which was described above. When the consumer tilts the carton to pour its contents into a receptacle, no spilling of the liquid occurs onto the top of the closure device. What is more, the cross-section of the clear passage in the form of a funnel facilitates the outflow of the liquid and the complete emptying of the carton. The closure device can be closed again to enable the remainder of the contents of the carton to be hermetically preserved if the carton has not been completely emptied.

The closure device according to the invention may be produced to be of small thickness and is easy to manufacture by moulding all in one piece. The hinge elements are for example formed by an elastomer which is formed integrally with the base. The device can be fixed to a container or carton of a current type simply by adhesive-bonding it or welding it to the top of the container, such for example as to cartons made of cardboard or a similar material and in particular to cartons or packs which are known by the name Tetra Pak.

It is understood that the embodiments which are shown in the drawings and described above are merely illustrative embodiments according to the invention and that the invention is in no way limited to these embodiments. The closure device according to the invention may for example be given one or more air-inlet holes which are intended to be opened, when the cover or the pouring tube is brought to the raised position, in such a way as to place the liquid contained in the container under atmospheric pressure and thus to facilitate the emptying of the container. 

1. Closure device for a container for beverages or other liquids, comprising a base (11) having a cavity (20) whose bottom is pierced by an opening (21), a blocking-off cover (13) which is attached to the base by a hinge element in such a way as to be able to pivot between a position in which it is lowered onto the top of the base and a position in which it is raised towards the outside of the base, and a relatively rigid pouring tube (17) having a free end and an end which is attached to the base by a hinge element in such a way as to be able to pivot between a lowered position and a position in which it is raised towards the top of the base (11), that part of the periphery of the pouring tube (17) which is not attached to the base (11) being connected to part of the perimeter of the said opening (21) by a flexible sealing membrane (22), characterised in that the top face of the base (11) has a projecting edging (15) around the periphery of the cavity (20), and the inside face of the cover (13) has a projecting edging (15) around its periphery which is not attached to the base, in such a way as to fit round at least part of the projecting edging (12) on the base (11) when the cover is in the lowered position, above the pouring tube (17) which is in the lowered position, the said edging (15) being connected to the base by a security member (18) which is secured to the base, the said locking member breaking when the free end of the cover (13) is raised to open the cover.
 2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the security member (16) projects in a position outside the projecting edging (12) on the base (11) in such a way that its end is hooked into an orifice (19) which is formed in the edging (15) of the cover (13).
 3. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the bottom end of the pouring tube (17) has an extension (24) which, when the pouring tube is in the lowered position, fits into a recess (26) which is arranged in the base (11), the end of the said extension (24) carrying a point (25), the said extension (24) extending below the bottom face of the base (11) when the pouring tube (17) is brought to its raised position.
 4. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that it is moulded in one piece
 5. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the flat base (11) is so formed as to have at least one air-inlet hole within the cavity (20), the said air-inlet hole being blocked off when the cover or the pouring tube is in the lowered position.
 6. Container for beverages fitted with a closure device according to claim
 1. 7. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the bottom end of the pouring tube (17) has an extension (24) which, when the pouring tube is in the lowered position, fits into a recess (26) which is arranged in the base (11), the end of the said extension (24) carrying a point (25), the said extension (24) extending below the bottom face of the base (11) when the pouring tube (17) is brought to its raised position.
 8. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that it is moulded in one piece
 9. Device according to claim 3, characterised in that it is moulded in one piece
 10. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the flat base (11) is so formed as to have at least one air-inlet hole within the cavity (20), the said air-inlet hole being blocked off when the cover or the pouring tube is in the lowered position.
 11. Device according to claim 3, characterised in that the flat base (11) is so formed as to have at least one air-inlet hole within the cavity (20), the said air-inlet hole being blocked off when the cover or the pouring tube is in the lowered position.
 12. Device according to claim 4, characterised in that the flat base (11) is so formed as to have at least one air-inlet hole within the cavity (20), the said air-inlet hole being blocked off when the cover or the pouring tube is in the lowered position. 